Islanders Forward To Represent Canada At Winter Olympic Games In Sochi

Hockey Canada announced today that Islanders captain John Tavares has been selected as a member of the 2014 Canadian Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team.

Tavares, 23, leads the Islanders in scoring and ranks third in the National Hockey League with 51 points (20 goals, 31 assists) in 43 games this season. He’s led the Islanders in points every season since being selected first overall in the 2009 NHL Draft.

A native of Oakville, ON, Tavares has represented his country at three World Championships (2010, 2011, 2012), scoring a point-per-game or better in each tournament. Tavares also played for Team Canada at two World Junior Championships (2008, 2009), winning a gold medal at each tournament. In 2009, he was named tournament MVP, scoring 15 points (eight goals, seven assists). Tavares’ 12 career WJC goals are tied with Eric Lindros and Jeff Carter for most goals in a career by a Canadian at the WJC.

A first-time Olympian, Tavares has 300 points (132 goals, 168 assists) in 334 career NHL games. He added five points (three goals and two assists) in six NHL playoff games last spring in his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut. Tavares played junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey League with the London Knights and Oshawa Generals. He was named the Canadian Hockey League and OHL Player of the Year in 2007-08 after posting 118 points (40g/78a) in 59 games. He also led the Ontario Hockey League in scoring in 2008-09 with 58 goals and 46 assists for 104 points in 56 games.